What Is a Four-Point Inspection in Florida?
Quick answer: what a four-point inspection is
A four-point inspection is a short report — usually two to four pages — that documents the condition of four systems in your home: roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Florida carriers require it on most homes over 25 to 30 years old before they will bind or renew a homeowners policy. It is a separate inspection from a wind mitigation report and from a full home inspection. A licensed Florida inspector typically charges $100 to $200 and produces the report on a state-standardized template that all carriers accept.
Why Florida carriers require it
Most Florida property losses on older homes come from one of those four systems: aging roof shingles, federal pacific or aluminum-wired electrical panels, polybutylene or galvanized plumbing, and HVAC units past their service life. Carriers use the four-point to confirm none of those failure points are imminent. A 1988 Grayton Beach cottage with an original electrical panel is a different risk than the same cottage with a 2022 panel upgrade — and the four-point is how the carrier sees that difference before issuing terms.
What inspectors actually flag on 30A homes
On the coast we see the same handful of issues over and over: shingle roofs past 15 years (many carriers cap eligibility at 15–17), original 1980s and 1990s electrical panels (Federal Pacific, Zinsco, Challenger — uninsurable on most carriers), polybutylene supply plumbing (also uninsurable), galvanized drain lines with corrosion, and HVAC units older than 15 years. On Walton County homes built between 1980 and 1998, expect at least one of these to come up. A good independent agent will tell you which fixes are non-negotiable for which carriers before you spend the money.
What an older home actually needs to pass
To make an older 30A home insurable: a roof with at least 3–5 years of useful life remaining (per the 2023 Florida roof law), a modern electrical panel (no Federal Pacific, Zinsco, Challenger or aluminum branch wiring), no polybutylene supply lines, no active leaks or major corrosion in plumbing, and HVAC in working order. If the inspection comes back clean on those points, almost every Florida admitted carrier will entertain the risk. If two or three points are flagged, the home may be limited to Citizens or a surplus-lines carrier until repairs are made.
How four-point ties into your premium
A four-point inspection does not generate credits the way a wind mitigation report does — its job is to make you eligible, not cheaper. But once eligible, an updated four-point lets you shop across more carriers, which is where the savings come from. On a 1991 Santa Rosa Beach home north of 98, getting from "Citizens-only" to "five private carrier options" can shift the premium from $6,200 to $3,400 just by opening up the market. The inspection pays for itself many times over in the first year.
Schedule your four-point and shop with Nsure Asset
Nsure Asset helps 30A and Walton County owners coordinate four-point and wind mitigation inspections through trusted local inspectors, then runs the results across 20+ carriers. Call 850 585 2727 or request a quote at nsureasset.com — we will tell you exactly what the report needs to say to unlock the broadest market on your address.